Thank God for Trainers
by LeiaPrincess21
Summary: The Doctor gets Rose back because of a trainer, and he intents to make better use of this newfound time. Doctor/Rose with a little mini-adventure as well. ON HOLD
1. Chapter 1

The Tenth Doctor/Rose

An alternate timeline that was started by the laces on a trainer.

Rose let go of the handle on the wall and stumbled onto the lever. She had to keep the breach open; she had to make sure the Daleks and Cybermen were pulled from her world. To her side she heard the Doctor's screams as she pulled the lever. With a "thunk" the lever slid back into place and the breach opened again. The force of the once again opened breach pulled her feet out from under her. As she clutched to the lever she could still hear the Doctor screaming, telling her to hold on, to just hold on. Her grip was slipping. She felt her hands beginning to slide off the lever. Thinking fast the bent in half and tried to get her feet under her. The effort only served to knock her trainers into the machinery and jostle her hands loose. The Doctor screamed her name with a fear and desperation she had never heard before as she began to slide towards the breach. She looked at his wide brown eyes as he got smaller.

Suddenly she felt a jerk. Looking down she saw the lace of her right trainer stuck in the machinery of the lever. The shoe was still tied and it was holding tight. The Doctor apparently could not see the lace and was confused, but continued to yell at Rose. Suddenly right next to the breach Rose's father appeared. He clawed at the ground trying to get to her. Rose watched him as she lay on her stomach.

"Pete go back!" she yelled over the noise of the breach.

"I'm here for you, your mother says I must!" he responded. Rose saw him beginning to slip into the breach. Thinking fast she pulled her mobile from her pocked and prayed for a one in a million aim.

"Dad, tell Mum I love her!" and with that she threw the phone. It hit its mark and pressed the button, taking him back home just as he lost his grip and began sliding into the breech. As she smiled, Rose felt her trainer slip. Looking down she saw her foot sliding out of her shoe. All of a sudden slipped out and she started sliding towards the breach once more. The Doctor's shouts reached a new level as Rose saw the blinding white wall moving towards her. As she slid it waved and quivered. Rose closed her eyes, preparing for the void.

Instead of void, Rose was greeted by a sharp crack on the head. Opening her eyes she saw the solid white wall in front of her. Stunned she sat there and rubbed her head. All of a sudden arms had her. Thinking it to be a Cyberman in the void, Rose thrashed, but the arms just tightened. She could hear her attacker talking but not understand the words. Suddenly she broke free and turned, prepared to fight. Before her stood the Doctor, ruffled, and with tears welling in her eyes. Then it hit her, the breach had closed just before she could slide through. She threw herself at the Doctor holding on to him as though she was trying to save him from the breach all over again. She felt moisture on her neck and shoulders and could feel his body shaking with sobs in her arms. She had never known the Doctor to cry, especially not like this. Worried she questioned him.

"Doctor what's wrong?" she mumbled into his shoulder.

"mmhmfmmsm" he replied.

"What?" He pulled his face back and looked at her, still holding her tight.

"I thought I was going to loose you."

"But I'm still here Doctor, you didn't loose me. There's no reason to cry now."

"Now that I've started I can't seem to stop, it seems now that I'm crying because I'm happy you are still here." Even during an emotional moment the Doctor analyzed his behavior like a third party. "I seem to be acting on impulse and it's strange."

"Impulse is good Doctor, it just means you are too emotional to be logical."

"That's the truth." His tears had stopped and now he was looking at her very seriously. Rose was uncomfortable under his stare, but met his gaze. Suddenly he leaned in and pressed his mouth to hers. It was warm and soft, the way she had always imagined it would be. Relaxing from her initial surprise Rose relaxed into the kiss and held the Doctor tighter. He tangled his hands in her hair and held his mouth tight and steady to hers. Just as quickly as it started, the kiss ended and the Doctor was walking off. He sniffed and wiped his eyes on his sleeve before talking.

"Right," he began as though nothing had happened, "seems like we're done here. Where d'ya want to go to next? Barcelona? The Reichter Quadrant? The universe is our oyster." He looked over his shoulder at her and grinned in his cocky manner. Rose decided to question him later and merely be thankful that she was still alive and with the Doctor. She jogged to catch up with him and took his hand smiling. The two of them walked through the rubble and destruction to the lab where the TARDIS was still sitting. With a few loving strokes to the ship, the Doctor pressed a few buttons, flipped some switches, and smacked his fist on one part, and suddenly they were off.


	2. Chapter 2

Rose hopped on one foot as she tried to get her shoe back on. She had turned back and retrieved it from the machinery that opened and closed the breech. Save for a frayed lace, it was still in perfect condition. As strange as it seems she had the urge to hug that shoe, because it was all that saved her from a lifetime alone and away from the Doctor.

"Doctor, wait up!" Rose shouted to the man who continued to walk away. "I've got to get my shoe back on." The Doctor turned and walked back to her and looked at her as she tied the laces.

"I never thought I would say this, but I think that trainer is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Rose just looked at the Doctor. Surely he had lost it, waxing poetically about a shoe

.

"Um…what?"

"Well it kept you here with me didn't it?" The Doctor smiled at Rose, and his gaze warmed her heart to a blaze. Only he could make her feel short of breath with just a smile. "I mean I really don't want to have to go training a new companion, you've only just now gotten to where I'm not having to lecture all the time." And just like that he put out the flame and caused her to roll her eyes.

"Oh yes, Doctor, that would have been terrible for you." Her sarcasm was evident.

"Yes quite." So was his.

"So where are we off to now?"

"Well, after a trip like that one, I say we take a vacation."

"Ooh, and where would this vacation spot be." By this point in time they had reached the TARDIS and the Doctor was holding the door open for her.

"I though we could let the TARDIS decide, the old girl deserves a say this time I think." As he spoke the Doctor stroked the console of the TARDIS in the slightly off putting way that he always did. Rose just grimaced and walked over to the part of the railing that was padded. Her body was already sore and bruised and she did not need to fall into railings right now.

With a loud bang and a jerk the TARDIS was off. Instead of the standard trip where the room shook for a bit then suddenly they were there, the Doctor had put the TARDIS on autopilot with no destination, so the shaking stopped and the hum of the engine was soon the only proof that they were traveling though time and space. The Doctor stood with his back to Rose, entering in the information that would give the TARDIS the ability to have full control over their destination. As she watched him work she was nearly overcome with the reality of how close she came to loosing him, to loosing this today. The weight of it pulled on her and exhausted her. She could see his shoulders sagging as well.

Moving forward Rose placed her hand on the Doctor's shoulder. He turned to face her, his useless but intellectual looking glasses on. He attempted to say her name but only a croak emerged. All the screaming he did had done a number on his voice. A small part of her mind told Rose that he had screamed for her, that his voice was gone because of his grief at loosing her. Shaking it off, she smiled at him.

"I'm rather tired Doctor, and I can see you are as well, so why don't we turn in?" Not trying to speak again he simply smiled and nodded. When she started to leave he caught her by the arm and pulled her into a hug whispering into her ear, "I'm so glad I still have you." After a few moments Rose loosened her grip on the tall and lanky man. He kept his. The hug went on for nearly two minutes during which the Doctor was still as a statue, and Rose rubbed her hands up and down his back, murmuring that she was still here and would never leave him, ever.

When he finally released her, the Doctor smiled at Rose once again and whispered his raspy goodnight before disappearing into a door that was suddenly in the wall of the TARDIS. Rose looked ahead of her and saw the door to her room right next to his, right where it always was. She went inside and was barely into her night clothes before she fell asleep on top of the luscious covers that adorned her bed. It was in this position some time later that she awoke, having dreamed she heard the Doctor screaming her name again. As she caught her breath she heard it. Coming from next door was the sound of the Doctor screaming, he was yelling her name with the same panic and desperation that he had earlier that day.

Panicking, Rose ran out of her room and into his, not even thinking to ask for permission. She ran to the bed that was in the middle of the room and looked down. On the bed was the Doctor, in a deep sleep, flailing and screaming. Remembering his propensity for sitting bolt upright when awoken, Rose stayed to the side of him as she shook his shoulders and loudly said his name. As she anticipated he sat directly upright with a final gasp. He was sweating and out of breath. She could hear his two hearts racing from where she stood.

"Doctor, Doctor, its okay, I'm here, its okay." He did not speak but merely looked at her with the eyes of a frightened child. Rose took pity on him and sat on the bed next to him, pulling his head to her chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist like a child and held her close as she stroked his hair and sang a lullaby to him. Rose let all her love for the Doctor, as well as all the care giving instinct that he brought out in her when he risked his life flow out of her and into him, hoping that someone he would feel her love and calm down. Slowly her motherly behavior began to calm him and his grasp on her loosened.

Rose looked down at the Doctor. The great man that saved worlds and entire universes was lying in bed in striped pajamas, holding onto her like a child after a nightmare. The sight of it made her giggle. Apparently he felt better because he sat up and responded to her.

"Are you laughing at my nightmares?" he glared at her. It was mocking though, she could tell by the upturning of his eyes that he was teasing her. Deciding she was too tired for his teasing games she responded honestly.

"Yes. Are you feeling better?" He smiled at her.

"I am, thank you. It is rare that I dream and even more rare for me to have nightmares. As embarrassing and childlike as my behavior just was, I thank you for taking care of me."

"Its all right Doctor, you have held me many times when I've had nightmares after a particularly scary trip." Both of them smiled slightly at the truth of her statement. "Now go back to sleep, you need rest and so do I."

"Rose I don't want to sleep again. I relieved today but at the end of it all I lost you. I don't think I can go through it again." He looked at her with sad eyes. Rose was touched at his honesty. Normally the Doctor shrugged off emotions with a sarcastic remark, but when he truly addressed them, Rose always found that he felt emotions in a completely human manner.

"Doctor," she leaned forward and kissed his forehead as he had every time she had had nightmares, "I'm here. You will never be alone again, I promise. Now sleep." He nodded and settled back as she walked back out the door. As she turned to walk into her door she walked into the wall. Stepping back she looked around. Her door should have been right next to his. Where was it? After a minute of walking around the control room looking for her door, Rose walked up to the Doctor's door, knocking this time. He answered it less that a second later.

"What is it?" He sounded slightly worried.

"Um…Doctor, it seems that my bedroom has disappeared. The door is always just right here, but it's gone." The Doctor stepped out and walked around the control room as well, mumbling and looking puzzled. Finally he stopped and looked at the main control center. He glared at it.

"Bloody awareness chip."

"Um, what?"

"Oh, the awareness chip in the TARDIS. It's what allows it to make decisions. I turned it on so that the TARDIS could choose the next destination, but apparently the TARDIS thinks I shouldn't be alone tonight and so has hidden your room."

"Hidden it? But why?"

"Because it's daft that's why. Not worth it, come on them you will just have to sleep in my room. Not like it's the first time we've had to share a room. You think you can stomach that prospect?" Rose could stomach it; in fact her stomach did a flip at the thought. Rarely did they stay overnight at a destination, but often they ended up having to share a room. Those few times had been the most stressful and enjoyable nights for Rose. Getting to sleep next to the Doctor was all she wanted sometimes. Just to lay next to him and hear him breathing and smell him all night.

"Rose, you alright?" She had become lost in her thoughts and neglected to answer him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired. Come on then, lets to bed." And she followed him into his bedroom.

**AN: Just a wee bit of fluff before I actually begin the story. Trust me, this will end up with a plot and short adventure, but I had to let the shipper in me out for a bit first. Nothing naughty in the next chapter, though, just some glorious tension and the beginning of the actual mini-plot. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry this took so long…I've been rather busy and also rather uninspired…but then I got some inspiration and here is another chapter!**

Rose grumbled and stretched. The aches of the day before had settled deep into her limbs during the night. With a sigh Rose rolled over and peeked out from under the covers. This was what she did every morning. It was her way of making excuses to sleep more. If she looked and it was still a bit before her alarm would go off she would turn her alarm off entirely, telling herself that she was so sleep deprived that she had woken up just to turn the alarm off. Her mum had always harped about that habit of hers. However, when Rose turned over she didn't see her alarm clock. Instead she saw a dresser that was not hers. She then realized the sheets and blankets on the bed were not the right color either. Even in the TARDIS she had pink sheets, these were dark green. She slowly looked over her shoulder to see if her memories were correct.

She was greeted by a body shaped rumple in the covers that fit the proportions of the Doctor. Rose sighed. It had truly been an uneventful night, as much as her imagination had wished it wasn't. Both she and the Doctor were so tired that they had slipped into the large bed and fallen asleep. They hadn't even argued over who got which side. They always argued over than on overnight stays because they both slept on the right side of the bed. Rose smiled; she must have been extremely tired to take the left side without a fight. Standing she extricated herself from his room, doing her best to be silent. It was awkward enough that she had been forced to sleep there. Him walking out of his bathroom in just a towel would take the awkwardness no a whole new level that she did not wish to investigate.

Once outside of his room she glared at the door that was now next to his. Grumbling things about "bloody machines" she went in and got cleaned up for the day. Half an hour later she reappeared in the main console room to find the Doctor examining a screen. He noticed her when she closed her door.

"I see the TARDIS decided you deserved your clothes this morning." He wasn't facing her but she could hear his sarcastic grin in his tone.

"Yes, rather nice of it I think."

"Well the awareness chip is set back to a minimum. I've had enough surprises for a month or so I think. Right, you ready to see where we are?" He finally turned to face her, grinning like a schoolboy. The subject of sharing a bed, even in a platonic fashion, was masterfully glazed over and they could now resume normal interactions.

"I'm both excited and afraid" she smirked.

"Me too, let's go!" With that the Doctor grabbed his long coat and opened the door, stepping out first as was his habit. He never said why but Rose suspected it was just in case there was anything dangerous out there. When she followed him she was greeted with a fairly ordinary looking street. It was a suburban lane with houses and grass and lawn gnomes.

"It took us to the suburbs. The TARDIS took us too the suburbs?" Rose was a mixture of shocked and perturbed.

"Looks like it."

"No, wait. Out of the entire universe this futuristic time and space machine decided to take us to the boring old suburbs?" As Rose ranted and the Doctor just looked around confused, a middle aged woman came out of one of the nearby houses.

"Hello, how can I help you?" she asked as she walked over to the pair.

"Um…what?" The Doctor just stared at her with one eyebrow raised. He seemed to be in a state of confusion, either that or all his free brain power was being taken up with trying to reason out why the TARDIS took them there.

"Oh you two must be the couple that bought the house down the street. Edward and Nancy Rutherford. I was told you would be arriving next week, but no matter. I'm Edna, the Welcome Wagon representative for this street." She held out her hand and the Doctor took it, partially coming to his senses.

"Um yes…we are…but you can call me the Doctor." He started staring blankly into the sky again.

"What…are you a doctor of some sort?" Poor Edna was obviously confused by the erratic behavior of this new couple. Thankfully Rose came to her senses and saw what was happening just in time to save the Doctor from his lack of social graces. She smoothly stepped in.

"Yes he was the only doctor at a small rural clinic and got so used to everyone just calling him doctor that it seemed to stick." She took the woman's hand. "I'm Rose. It's very nice to meet you."

"But I thought your name was Nancy?"

"Oh yes, well the town was small enough to have just one doctor but apparently could still have two nurses named Nancy so I started going by my middle name of Rose. Just seemed to—"

"stick." The other woman finished Rose's sentence with a confused but honest smile. "Well its time to get you two settled in then! Newlyweds?" Rose looked at Edna, panic stricken for a moment and unsure of how to respond. Thankfully the Doctor stepped in for her.

"Yes. Just last month, splendid honeymoon." He then gave Edna his biggest smile which she returned with ease.

"Well," Edna began, "I'm sorry to say that this street seems to have a bit of a curse when it comes to newly weds." She had the Doctor's full focus now.

"Curse?" he asked expectantly.

"Oh yes, every young couple that moves in here ends up divorced and moved out within six months. It's a sad sort of thing. The more in love they are the faster they seem to leave. My husband Darrel teases me for thinking so, but I'm just sure that somehow this street is cursed to end love." Edna saw the shocked faces of Rose and the Doctor and quickly backpedaled. "Oh, but I'm sure it's not real. I just know you two will be alright."

Edna smiled and led them further down the street to the house with a "sold" sign in the yard. As the walked the Doctor turned and whispered to Rose, "Now we know why the TARDIS brought us here. Up for a bit more adventure?" Rose smiled and him and replied, "I always am."

By this point in time they had reached the house and Edna had let them know that if they needed anything to come and knock on her door. As she smiled and walked away Rose turned to the Doctor.

"So, now what. We've got no keys and no stuff to move in. I'm sure we look just like a new married couple." The excitement of pretending to be married to the Doctor was lost on Rose right now as all she felt was agitation. He just smiled and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. With a pop it opened the front door.

"No need for keys when you've got me around. And as for stuff…well I guess we will just have to move the TARDIS into this house and hope that no one expects to be asked over for dinner." He smiled at her cockily and she just rolled her eyes. "Now, how are we going to solve this mystery?"

"I don't suppose going out onto the street and shouting 'We're in love come find us' is an option?"

"No but we could start snooping around backyards, see what we can find."

"Right, you do that; I'll take the 'domestic approach' and go meet the neighbors." Rose was being sarcastic and jovial but inside she was pissed. The Doctor seemed to know that and gave her a wide berth as she left their new "home". Rose muttered under her breath about shoddy TARDIS equipment and how it had given them work when she had been promised a vacation. The truth was that Rose was actually delighted to be working with the Doctor, nothing made her happier. She was just hoping that some vacation time together might bring about some explanation as to his strange behavior right after she didn't fall through the breach.

Sighing again Rose started down the street knocking on doors. None of them got a reply. Finally she came to a pink house and when she knocked a short, young, Asian woman answered the door. Before Rose could go into her pre-prepared speech about being new to the neighborhood and just wanting to say hello, the woman began to speak.

"You're new." The woman eyed her up and down. "Hm, must be the newlywed couple. Only newlyweds are so in love." Rose stood there confused as the woman continued to look at her for another moment. "I've got to go I'm cooking." And with that the woman shut the door. Rose found four other people home but they were all courteous. Only the woman in the pink house had behaved strangely, so she told the Doctor about it.

He told her that he had picked up strange readings from the backyard of the pink house.

"I think its time we gave our new neighbors a visit." He smiled and started to walk to the door. Minutes later the two of them stood on the porch of the pink house, smiling and knocking. The same woman answered the door.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Oh just to say hello and invite you over for some tea." The Doctor replied quickly. Rose glanced at him, thinking about the house they were supposed to be living in and how it only had the TARDIS inside it.

"I didn't see a moving van, you're already moved in?" The woman was smart.

"Oh we've got a few things, but the van and all our stuff is coming tomorrow. So maybe its best if you don't come over for tea, on second thought." The Doctor had planed this all. The woman smiled and opened the door wider.

"Why don't you two stay for tea here. We've got plenty of room." With a one sided grin and a wink to Rose, the Doctor stepped into the house and started looking around.

"It's really just me here," the woman explained, "and my adopted sister and her husband, and his two brothers. On second thought it's actually quite crowded here." The Doctor smiled and laughed, eyes still taking in the interior of the house. "Here we are, everyone is just sitting down for tea. This is my family" The woman opened the door to the kitchen to reveal a woman and three men sitting at a round table. One of them, dressed in a fine suit, was pouring the tea while the rest talked. As Rose looked from face to face she suddenly stopped.

"What the hell?" a deep American voice sounded. Rose's eyes widened and mouth fell open as Captain Jack Harkness stood up from the table and stared at them. The Doctor stepped forward and uttered one word.

"What?!"

**A/N: Buahahah this is what happens when I start watching all the Torchwood episodes…I decided to bring in those characters. Its still going to revolve around the Doctor and Rose, but will have the Torchwood team as minor characters. And, of course, I will Jack/Ianto because who in their right mind doesn't love those two. **


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Wow…I'm a bad person and forgot I was even writing this. Thank GOD I remembered. NOW FOR MORE GOODNESS!**

"Captain Jack!" Rose shouted as she ran towards the man. His angry face and demeanor stopped her before she got to him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" demanded Jack as he walked towards the Doctor and Rose. The Doctor looked equally peeved and responded immediately with, "It's my right as a time traveler to go where I want. YOU, however, being a temporal anomaly need to be more—

Jack cut the Doctor off mid sentence when he shouted, "Not you! Her!" Suddenly every eye in the room was on Rose as she stood there, uncomfortable and suddenly self conscious in her jeans and zip up jumper. She stopped meeting eyes and looked down at her shoes, and the frayed lace on her trainer.

"Her?" the Doctor asked, stepping in front of Rose, protecting her from the stares of the Torchwood team.

"Yes her, she is supposed to be trapped in an alternate reality." Captain Jack was starting to calm down but was still acting anxious.

"What do you mean?"

"Months ago in the Canary Warf incident. As you closed the hole between realities she started to fall into the rift and her father from the other reality saved her, but trapped her in the alternate world."

"Why are you saying that? We just left Canary Warf and, as you can see, she is still very much here. Who told you she got trapped?"

"You did, Doctor. You did not too long ago when I ran into you as you filled up the TARDIS at the rift."

The Doctor just stared at him. "She is almost in need of a fill up, but I wasn't there."

"Then it was a future version of you or something." The Doctor was starting to act anxious too.

"So, when you saw me, I said Rose was gone?"

"Yes, you were travelling with a woman named Martha Jones. You met her a while after Rose got trapped."

At this Rose snapped to attention and spoke up, "Oy, you replaced me so soon?"

"No," Jack replied, "he found a stand in that he always compared to you and who was always found wanting."

"Wait, wait, wait." The Doctor had started pacing. "If you met a future me, then how did the same even turn out differently?"

"The timeline," Jack started, "somehow it must have been altered and the universe hasn't compensated yet. Because we're all three time travelers, for us, it may never."

"But how was it altered?" The Doctor pulled out his glasses and began to fiddle with them as he thought.

Jack turned to Rose at this point to question her. "What was it that prevented you from falling into the rift? What could have changed?"

"My trainer." Rose got a far off look as she remembered. "It was the lace, it prevented me from needing my dad to save my life. I had meant to re-tie it for the last hour before we opened the hole but I'd never found the time. Finally I was bent down and ready to tie it, when a man almost knocked me over. At first I thought it was you, Doctor, but he was in a blue suit and disappeared into a crowd. By the time I finished looking for him in the crowd, you were there telling me we had to go."

"A blue suit?" Jack ran his hand over his face. "Doctor that was you. When I saw you last you had taken to wearing a blue suit. You changed your own timeline."

The Doctor stared blankly. "But why would I do that? Why would I risk tearing apart the seams of time?"

Jack smiled as he looked at the taller man, "for her." Rose stared at the Doctor as he stared angrily at the floor. Suddenly they were all startled by someone clearing their throat. The man serving tea was looking at them as he spoke, "Jack, if you are all done figuring out this riddle, do you mind telling us who these people are?"

Captain Jack smiled as he walked over to the people at the table. "Of course. Team, this is the Doctor and his travelling companion, Rose Tyler. Rose, Doctor, this is the Torchwood team. We have Gwen, Tosh, Owen, and Ianto."

Gwen spoke up, "Wait, THE Doctor that you talk so much about. The one whose had you creepily kept for a long time?" Jack looked at the floor embarrassed. "The one and the same."

"Well," said the Doctor, "if Jack is here it can't be good. Tell us what you know."

"Hold on." Interjected Rose, "You called Jack a temporal anomaly. But he's just a time traveler like us. Why is it so bad that he is here."

The Doctor looked at Jack and said, "You want to take this one?" Jack sighed and told his tale.

"When you went all time vortex-y and brought me back to life you did it too well. I can't die now. I've been alive for, well, far too long. And I've died more times that I can count, but I always get brought back."

"It rather scary, even when you're used to it." Ianto looked down as he said this.

Rose looked rather like a scolded child as she apologized to Jack. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Jack walked over and hugged Rose tight, whispering into her hair that it was alright.

Owen finally spoke up, grumpy as ever. "If these touching reunions are FINALLY over, can we get down to business?" Jack glared at him but nodded, "Yes. Okay, Rose, Doctor, we haven't learned much, but here is what we know. Something in this neighborhood is feeding off of the energy created by two people in love." Rose raised her eyebrows at him. " Not sexual energy, sadly, but emotional energy. It's only works if both parties are present, and it only works if they are in the early stages of their love."

The Doctor looked at him as if expecting more. "Oh, is that all? Well then, looks like it's up to us from here on out." The Doctor turned on his heel and walked out of the house, Rose and Jack trailing him looking confused.

"Wait," Rose said, trying to hold onto his arm to stop him, "we're just going to leave?"

The Doctor stopped and turned on his heel. "Yes we are. You know why? Because this man always brings trouble and now he's brought a world where you aren't there and I don't want that near me. Captain, I'm sorry, but until the universe sorts itself out I don't really want to be near you." With that he walked off back towards the house where the TARDIS was parked. Rose turned to Jack confused.

"Why is he acting this way? I thought he loved you?"

"He does. But not enough. To him I represent an anomaly that is linking this world to one where you aren't there. I don't think he can handle it. He just went through almost loosing you, I don't think he can face the thought that it could have happened or could still happen."

"So all this is about me?"

Jack smiled at Rose and chuckled. "With the Doctor, it's always about you. But he's right. My lot and I will clear out. I'd rather loose a bit of my memory than the universe decide to get rid of you to right things. The farther we are away from each other will probably be best." Jack hugged Rose and walked back into the pink house. Rose could do nothing but stand there, confused. The Doctor, HER Doctor, the man who was always confident, cocky in the face of danger, was scared? It didn't seem right. Then she thought about facing a reality with him in it. She thought about being trapped away from him. With a shudder she moved away from the pink house. Perhaps it was for the best that Jack was leaving. But what did he mean "with the Doctor, it's always about you"? Rose decided to think on it later. Instead she walked into the little house with the "sold" sign out front to go talk to the Doctor.

As soon as she walked into the door she was caught up in a hug. "Oy, Doctor, its all right I'm still here." The Doctor let her go and smiled.

"I know. It's just, when my past travelling companions leave me, its not that bad. But having one taken. That is the worst feeling in the world and for the last two days I've been confronted with that possibility far too many times for my pleasure."

Rose only shook her head at how silly he was being and stepped into the TARDIS to start to look at his readings from the day. "So," she said, leaning on the console, "what leads do we have to follow?"

"Well, none actually. No readings at all. Whatever it is that is feeding off the energy has gone dormant. Somehow we'll have to lure it back out."

"So, act like a young couple in love to get its attention?"

"Seems like the only course of action."

**AN: Can NOT wait to write a chapter or two of Rose and the Doctor in domestic bliss. Well… "bliss" since he hasn't yet fessed up to how he feels. **


End file.
